Terminal patients provide perspective on home mortgages in UBank campaign
Owning a large family home has long been the Australian dream, but UBank is questioning its value in an effort to attract more customers with smaller, affordable loans.
In a powerful new campaign by The Monkeys titled ‘Home Truths’, terminally ill Australians speak about how their thoughts on home ownership and mortgages changed after they received their diagnosis.
The Monkeys worked with Palliative Care Australia to find the six people featured in the film, titled ‘Real Estate Tips from the Terminally Ill’.
Liz Callaghan, CEO of Palliative Care Australia, said: “When UBank approached us with this concept we immediately liked it because the project gives a voice to the people we advocate for day in and day out – and that’s not an opportunity they often receive. We hope it inspires Australians to make changes for the better.”
The aim of the campaign is to dissuade home buyers from setting their sights on large homes with expensive mortgages, focusing instead of the virtues of having a smaller loan and being able to redirect focus from work to enjoying home life.
CEO of UBank, Lee Hatton, said: “We are seeing too many people working hard to pay off a home they barely spend any time in, and making difficult compromises rather than enjoying their lives. Our belief is that by borrowing less, you can have a bigger life.”
Research commissioned by UBank found that 58% of Australian mortgage holders prioritise work over family due to the financial strain it imposes, while 64% wish they could spend more time at home.
The Monkeys co-founder and ECD, Scott Nowell, said: “This film calls on the unique clarity and wisdom of people living with terminal illness to force us to rethink what’s really important in our lives. It’s confronting but valuable to ask yourself what the ‘Australian dream’ actually costs in terms of stress and, most importantly, time with your friends and family.”
Pulse Communications is managing PR for the Home Truths campaign, which was planned and bought by Bohemia. The film will roll out across TV, digital and social channels, followed by behind the scenes discussions with the six interviewees.
Credits
Client: UBank
- Agency: The Monkeys
- Executive Creative Director: Scott Nowell
- Senior Art Director: Scott Dettrick
- Senior Writer: Andrew Fraser
- Director: Mike Hill
- Director of Photography: Tristan Milani
- Senior Producer: Penny Brown
- Production House Producer: Jo Johnston
- Production Manager: Jo Messina
- PR: Pulse
- Media: Bohemia
- Post Production: The Butchery/ The Refinery
- Executive Producer: Amelia Bromley
- Editor: Dan Lee
- Colourist: Scott Maclean
- Online: Drew Downes
- Sound House: SongZu
- Executive Producer: Katrina Aquilla
- Sound Designer: Simon Kane
I like it. Great emotional piece that acts contrary to the Brand (e.g borrowing more is generally better for uBank). Makes me think better of the brand.
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Thankfully, Australian bank bosses aren’t having any trouble living within their means.
“Andrew Thorburn, the outspoken National Australia Bank boss, lives in a $3.235 mansion he bought in the elite Melbourne suburb of South Yarra two years ago. Mr Thorburn told the Federal parliamentary inquiry into the banking sector this week that the NAB did not think housing prices were out of most people’s reach.”
http://www.news.com.au/lifesty.....9844c41d2e
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Using terminally ill people to sell home loans? This is beyond inappropriate. We all know there’s more to life than paying off your home but this is not the way to show it. It’s a sad indictment of what agencies and clients will do to get noticed these days. Shameful and exploitative.
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What a cynical clusterf$#@*k of an ad.
Mortgages have become un-affordable so instead of changing the system that has created this situation we’ll instead run an ad that tells people they should just be happy that they’re not dying instead.
What a crappy premise, not surprising that it comes from A BANK.
What’s next, an ad aimed at retirees highlighting the benefit of euthanasia so that their kids can afford a home.
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I’m not sure if my opinion is out of whack with general opinion, but when I saw this ad campaign on YouTube I watched the whole thing just to see what organisation would be so insensitive as to use the terminally ill to flog their wares (I normally skip as soon as the 5 secs are up). I am not a customer of U Bank and now will never be. U Bank.. If this one consumers opinion (ie. me) is of any value to you, think of the fact that your ad offended me enough that I watched the whole thing to see what kind of company would exploit people in such a way then searched the net to find a way of expressing my disgust (btw, your Facebook page doesn’t seem to publish public comments.. Probably a good call).
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So digusting and deeply disturbing.
Judging from the comments on Ubank’s facebook page a lot of people feel the same.
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